[Inspector Abberline]

Seller's return as Clouseau after his first two venture's,A Shot In The Dark and The Pink Panther,(probably best not to mention Alan Arkins attempt at Inspector Clouseau,he is a great comedy actor but Arkin was onto a hiding to nothing trying to out bungle Peter Seller's.) I'm never sure if the cartoon Clouseau on the credits,was based on Sellers or whether Seller's was turning into a cartoon character. They certainly up the slapstick stakes in Return, something which they continued with the rest of the series. In fact the comedy violence is almost up there with a Jackie Chan movie, particularly the ongoing fight between Kato and the inspector. Sir Charles Litton is now played by the suave Christopher Plummer and his love interest by Catherine Schell as Lady Claudine Litton. And while there both great actors,all you really want is Seller's and when ever he is not on screen, your just waiting for the next gag. The only actor who can hold his own, when on the screen with Sellers is Herbert Lom,whose deranged Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus is probably one of the screen's best underated movie villain's. That said the marvelous Graham Stark*is always a delight, especially in Revenge of the Pink Panther*(1978) as Professor Auguste Balls.. Return is nowhere near as sophisticated a comedy as the first Panther movie,but it's a great comfort movie and endlessly rewatchable.